The Poetic (Auto) Ethnographers Mission
The science and art of poetic (auto) ethnography is the ability to honestly capture and present an individual's consciousness of their own personal experiences and bring those to the consciousness of an audience of readers. The mission is first to be true to the experiences and positioning of the participant and second to present these in a format that allow others to engage and explore what it means to be in the situations with the thoughts and feelings of the person describing them. The aim is ultimately to bring humanity closer together by overcoming the overly simplified ways in which we think about others. All types of experiences are valued. Our belief is that by reading about the lives of others in these poetic ethnographies one can better understand the person who is talking. We wish to break the stereotypes of the other that so easily invade our minds and to see every person as the individual consciousness that they are. Through these ethnographic poems, we aim to enhance social cohesion and understanding among diverse social and cultural groups.